Maree Todd is a

Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from th ...

(SNP) politician who has been the

Member of the Scottish Parliament Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; gd, Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, BPA; sco, Memmer o the Scots Pairliament, MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament. Electoral system The add ...

(MSP) for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross since May 2021. She was previously an MSP for the

Highlands and Islands The Highlands and Islands is an area of Scotland broadly covering the Scottish Highlands, plus Orkney, Shetland and Outer Hebrides (Western Isles). The Highlands and Islands are sometimes defined as the area to which the Crofters' Act of 1 ...

from the election in May 2016. She has served as the Minister for Public Health, Women's Health and Sport since May 2021, having previously been the

Minister for Children and Young People The Minister for Children and Young People is a junior ministerial post in the Scottish Government. As a result, the Minister does not attend the Scottish Cabinet. The post was created in May 2007 after the appointment of the Scottish National ...

from 2017 to 2021.

Early life and education

She was educated at Ullapool primary school and high school. She went to

Robert Gordon University , mottoeng = Now by all your mastered arts , established = 1992 (origins mid-18th century) , type = Public , endowment = £1.9 million (2015) , budget = £103 million (2014) , chancellor = Dame Evelyn Glennie , principal = Professor St ...

in Aberdeen, graduating in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy.

Pharmacy career

She previously worked as a hospital pharmacist for NHS Highland. Before being elected as a MSP, she was based at the New Craigs Psychiatric Hospital in Inverness.

Political career

She was encouraged into politics after campaigning during the

Scottish independence referendum A referendum on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom was held in Scotland on 18 September 2014. The referendum question was, "Should Scotland be an independent country?", which voters answered with "Yes" or "No". The "No" side wo ...

that took place in 2014. In October 2015 she was announced as the top candidate on the SNP's regional list for the Highlands and Islands. Todd was appointed Minister for Childcare and Early Years by

First Minister A first minister is any of a variety of leaders of government cabinets. The term literally has the same meaning as "prime minister" but is typically chosen to distinguish the office-holder from a superior prime minister. Currently the title of '' ...

Nicola Sturgeon Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon (born 19 July 1970) is a Scottish politician serving as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since 2014. She is the first woman to hold either position. She has been a member of ...

on 7 November 2017. Todd is a Species Champion for the

Flame shell ''Limaria hians'', the flame shell, is a species of small saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Limidae. This species is native to the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. Biology The flame shell resembles a scallop with a bright o ...

, through a scheme run by Scottish Environment LINK. At the

May 2021 Scottish Parliament election The 2021 Scottish Parliament election took place on 6 May 2021, under the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998. All 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament were elected in the sixth election since the parliament was re-established in 1999. The ele ...

, Todd was elected as the MSP for the Caithness, Sutherland and Ross constituency. On 19 May 2021, she was appointed to the new government as Minister for Public Health, Women's Health and Sport.

References

External links

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personal website
Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) Living people Ministers of the Scottish Government Scottish National Party councillors Scottish pharmacists Scottish National Party MSPs Members of the Scottish Parliament 2016–2021 Members of the Scottish Parliament 2021–2026 Female members of the Scottish Parliament People from Ross and Cromarty Women pharmacists {{MSP-stub